Monday, November 18, 2013

A Demon Comes to Church part ten

And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district. (Luke 4:37 NASB)

The people in the synagogue the day Jesus cast out the demon with a single sentence were absolutely astounded by how Jesus had accomplished the miracle and with such authority. The now-sane man was in their midst as proof. They could not stop thinking about what they had seen, and, according to this verse, they could not stop talking about it either. They told everyone they saw. The story of the synagogue soon became the talk of the town, and, as news does, spread to the neighboring villages as well. Even the people who did not accept Him as Messiah were talking about Him. Everyone in the district was hearing about Jesus, His power, His authority, His miracles.

Word of mouth is a tremendous way of spreading information, and in that time before cell phones and internet, it was a fast way to communicate news quickly. News of Jesus was everywhere and spreading.

The thing about word of mouth is that it still spreads information today, and quite effectively. There is one requirement for effective transmission of news, however. Those who know must tell it. Those of us who know Christ personally and have experienced His mercy and grace must share the good news if we want that news to spread. To whom have you spoken about what Christ has done for you recently?

Today, pray for opportunities to share the news of Christ with those you encounter. Pray, too, that the believers our loved ones encounter will not hesitate to share what Christ has done for them, and that they will share it with unassailable clarity and complete confidence. Pray that, in the hearing, our loved ones cannot help but believe what they are told because of the evidence of Christ in those who share.